Apparatus for ice-making, &amp;c.



Patented Oct. 3. I899.

A. GLA'SSONQ APPARATUS FOR'IOE MAKING; 8L0.

(Application filed Dec. 29, 1897.) 2 SheetsShget (No Model.)

Patented Oct. 3, I899.

A. aLAssonf APPARATUS FOR ICE'MAKING, 8L0.

(Application filed Dec. 29, 189 7.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

Iii;

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

ALFRED GLASSON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO CHARLESEGERTON FORBES MILMAN MAINWARING, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR ICE-MAKING, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,335, dated October3, 1899.

Application filed December 29, 1897. Serial No. 664,339. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED GLAssoN, a subject of the Queen of England,residing at Dulwioh, London, in the county of Surrey,

5 England, have invented a certain new and Improved Apparatus forIce-Making and Refrigerating, (for which I have obtained Letters Patentin Great Britain, No. 21,509, dated November 8, 1894,) of which thefollowing is [O a specification.

My apparatus is a refrigerating-machine using any high-tensioncondensible gassuch as sulfurousacid,anhydrous ammonia, or car bonicanhydrid.

A special feature of this apparatus is that a portion of therefrigerating agent employed in the machine is raised to a highertemperature and pressure and utilized in driving the machine without theaid of a steam-engine no or a steam-boiler and by the most simple formof heat transmission of low intensity. Any

substance with a temperature not lower than 150 Fahrenheit will work theapparatus.

For a particular and detailed description 2 5 of my apparatus I refer tothe accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal elevation, partly in section, of thegas-pump wherewith the refrigerating agent is compressed. Fig.

30 2 is an elevation of the complete apparatus with two parts in.section. Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal section through my improvedair-cooler used with the machine. Fig. 4: is a cross-section through thesame.

The compression-pump I make of the form and arrangement shown in Fig. 1.This is a double-acting pump and consists of a cylindrical barrel A,made of a hard-metal liner fixed inside a cast-iron cylinder B by means40 of set-studs O. This arrangement forms a hollow space D, whichcompletely surrounds the barrel, so forming a jacket to the pump, asshown. At each end of the barrel A, with its casing B, are bolted on thetop and bottom 5 covers I. These covers are each provided ith aflange-neck F, havinga passage-way e suction-valve H. The ends of thesezhes are closed by plates, as shown at F suction-valves into the pump.

1e opposite side of these branches are similar flange-necks K on bothtop and bottom covers of the pump. They are provided with passage-waysthrough them to each delivery-valve J. These outlets K at the top andbottom of the pump I connect together into one main delivery-pipe by anysuitable means similar to-that shown at 70, Fig. 2.

The suction-inlet to the pump is at G, Fig. 1, which is a flange-neckprojecting from the outside casing of the pump and having a passage-waythrough it into the hollow space or jacket around the barrel of thepump. This jacket is connected by a clear passage atboth the top and thebottom ends of the pump into the flange branches F and so to thesuctionvalves II. This passage is shown for the top end of the pump atE. A similarone is made into the bottom flange-neck, and in all otherdetails the construction of the valves on both top and bottom covers isidentical. This arrangement of the suction-inlets forms a completepassage-way for the cold incoming vapor to pass right around the barrelof the pump inside the jacket and then through the It is thus possibleto keep the barrel cool by means of the spent gas passing into the pump.In starting the machine it is sometimes necessary to cool the barrel ofthe pump by a direct injection of a small portion of liquefied ammoniainto the jacket D, which vaporizing therein effects the desired object.For this purpose a small pipe connection L is made in the suction branchG.

The suction-valves II at tlie top and bottom of the pump I place inboxes in the end covers I, so that they come fiat up against the ends ofthe pump, as shown. They are made with a guide-collar Cb, the spindlefrom which I runs upward in the center of two springs 19 and 0. Thesesprings are of different strengths. The cushion-spring cis the strongestand acts as a buffer to the recoil-spring b, thus taking up easily andquietly any violent action of the suction-valve. The springs are keptapart by means of a sliding collar-flange d, as shown.

The top an'd'bfottom delivery-valves J, I make exact-lyas shown. Thevalve-face fits into the seating e. The spindle of the valve is wprojected upward and terminates in a guide I the energy sufficient todrive the machine I g, which is cup-shaped and contains a recoilspringh. This spring bears against a collarfiange i, at the back of which isplaced a stronger cushion-spring 0, which acts as a buffer to themovement of the recoil-spring It, thus preventing shock in the action ofthe valve.

A novel feature of this pump is the piston M, having a piston-rod Nworking through an improved stuffing-box O. The piston has four springpiston-rings P. These rings are turned true and ground together on theirflat edges, so that when placed against one another they are gas-tight.The division, however, between the two center rings is beveled off tohalf its depth, as shown at j. These rings are kept in position andclose against one another by the piston-cover as shown. A hollow space Ris formed in the center of the piston, from which a series of openingsor passages lead to the space at the back of the piston-rings, as shown.

A small tube S is screwed into the piston and forms a connection intothe hollow space R. This tube at its opposite end passes through thebottom cover I of the pump and into a small closed tube-case T through asmall stuffingbox gland U. This tube S passes backward and forwardinside the case T as the pump-piston reciprocates when at work. Theobject for which this tube is provided is to secure an efficientlubrication of the piston for a portion of oil at a somewhat higherpressure than the pressure inside the pump is forced through the inlet Vand tube S into the hollow space R inside the piston and flowing outthrough the small holes 70 behind the piston rings P forces its waythrough a small hole between the center rings into the beveled slot j,and so fills this slot all around the piston and most efficientlylubricates it. In fact, the piston runs on a ring of high-pressure oil,which also tends to keep the piston-rings tight and renders the escapeof gas past the piston impossible.

The piston is also provided with a projecting strip \V around both topand bottom faces, and these fitinto corresponding recesses made in thetop and bottom covers I whenever the piston is at the top or the bottomof its stroke. This arrangement makes it possible to bring the suctionand delivery valves at each end of the cylinder flat against the strip7. The strip is cut away around the delivery-valve seating c at X. Thearrangement of this strip prevents any clearance around the valveswherein gas might lodge.

The cylinder of the engine which drives the compression-pump is made ofthe same pattern as any ordinary steam-cylinderfor highsteam-pressures,with this exception: The piston-rings and thelubricatorof the same I make similar to those used in thecompressionpump hereinbefore described and illustrated.

The part of the apparatus in whichI obtain ordinary steam-engine, andthus actuate.

call the generator P, Fig. 2. It consists of a cylindrical iron closedtank, provided inside with a number of serpentine coils Q, connectedtogether at their lower ends into a chamber R, as shown. The outlets ofthese coils at the top are connected into a cylindrical iron vessel S,which vessel is provided with a level-glass and pressure-gage, (shown atT.)

For cooling the air to very low temperatures I use with my machine along tank U, Fig. 3, in which revolve horizontally a series of thinmetal cylinders V, one within the other, each separated by a very narrowspace and also provided with channels a, Fig. 4, running the wholelength of the cylinders. The lower edge of each cylinder dips down intoand passes through a layer of freezing brine IV as it revolves on theshaft X by means of the small pulley Y. A fan Z is fixed at one end ofthe tank and forces the air to be cooled through and between the metalcylinders in the direction shown by the arrows and is delivered throughthe outlet at at a very low temperature. A coil of pipes b is placedalong the bottom of the tank, into which the liquefied ammonia isallowed to expand, thus cooling the brine. A perforated iron bailieplate0 is fixed at the outlet end, so as to prevent any spray from the brinepassing out with the air. By this arrangement of metal cylinders I amenabled to obtain a large and cold surface in a moderate space to exposeto a current of air, and as the cylinders revolve through the brine andthe small channels a take up a small portion of the freezing-brine, thusmaintaining the whole surface very cold, the air is very rapidly cooled.

The manner in which I work the machine is as follows: After withdrawingall the air from it and taking the refrigerating agent to be employed tobe anhydrous ammonia a full charge of this is placed in thecondenser-coils d, Fig. 2, which are coils of iron pipe placed insidethe tank-base of the apparatus, as shown, and surrounded by cold water.The ammonia from the coils flows into the circular iron vessel 6, whichis a storage-tank to retain a suflicient supply of the liquefied ammoniato work the machine. A small port-ion of the liquefied ammonia is placedin the coils Q of the generator P, Fig. 2, and is then heated and raisedto a pressure of about two hundred and fifty pounds per square inch.This heat may be waste heat of any description-such as exhaust-steam,hot air, or hot water. The hot substance employed passes into thegenerator-tank and surrounds the outside of the coils. The pressure oftwo hundred and fifty pounds per square inch being maintained in thegenerator P is sufficient to drive the machine. Byopening the valvefthis high-pressure vapor passes along the pipe g in Jo driving-cylinderh, which immediately the machine in motion in the same waycompression-pump t", Fig. 2. The machine is now working, and as long asthe pressure in the generator is maintained at a higher pressure thanthat in the condenser-coils will continue to work, the ammonia-gas beingdrawn by the pump 7 from the expansion-pipe coil bin aircooler, Fig. 3,through the pipejinto the pump.

suction branch and then inside the jacket hereinbefore described,cooling the barrel of the pump as it passes along to the suction-valves.The ammonia-gas, being compressed in the pump to about one hundred andfifty pounds per square inch, passes through the delivery branch 75 tothe pipe Z, then into the top of a cylindrical vessel m, called theoil-rectifier. here separates from the ammonia-gas, which gas thenpasses along through the pipe n into the condenser-coils d, whereitliquefies and passes to the receiver. (2. A small cylindrical vessel 0,called the oil-storage tank,- is placed immediately below theoil-rectifier m. This vessel 0 is connected to the generator mainvapor-pipe g by a small pipe 8', as shown, and also by a pipe t to eachof the oil-lubricators T on the driving-cylinder h and thecompression-pumpvl. Thisarrangementpernits the full pressure of thegenerator to act against the oil in the oil-receiver 0, and so forcesthe oil into the lubricators and thus into the pistons, as hereinbeforedescribed and illustrated. When the oilrectifier m is nearly full ofoil, the valves r being closed and the valve q opened, the oilimmediately flows out into the bottom vessel 0, after which, the valvesbeing restored to the former position,the cycle of operations proceedsas before.

To maintain the continuous working of the machine, a double-actingfeed-pump u of any approved design is fixed at the side of the tank-baseand driven off the main shaft, as shown. The suction of this pump isconnected by a small pipe 1; to the receiver 6, from which it draws asmall portion of liquid ammonia and forces it through the deliverypipeto into the chamber R at the bottom of the coils Q. This quantity isregulated to the exact amount required for the continuous working of theapparatus by means of the bypass regulating-valve at 00. This smallportion of ammonia continues evaporating at the higher pressure insidethe coils Q, thus producing a sufficient quantity of vapor to drive thecylinder h continuously. The by-pass valve 00 may be a three-way cockregulated by hand, so that, if necessary, a portion of the liquiddelivered into it by the pump could be returned through a pipe leadingfrom one of its ways to the condensing-coil and so back to the receiver,while a greater or less quantity, as desired, would pass on into thegenerator through the pipe 20'. Fig. 2, a branch pipe from the valve mleads through the wall of the base-tank, and this branch is connected tothe coil inside the tank. The vapor passes away from the driving-cyl-The oil used in lubricating the pump 1'" As shown in cooling the metalcylinders abstracts the heat from the air passing along them, as beforedescribed. A'small pipe and valve L, Fig. 2, are

provided for injecting a fine spray of liquefied ammonia from thereceiver 6 into the suction of pump, ifrequired, forcoolingthe same.

The direction of the flow of vapor and liquid in the various pipes isshown by arrows marked on Fig. 2.

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compressor, meansfor operating the same, a condenser-coil communicating with thedelivery-passage of the com pressor, an air-cooler, an expansion-coilwithin the cooler, a receiver and connections between the receiver, thecondensing-coil and expansion-coil, said receiver also communicatingwith the compressor, substantially as described.

2.' In a refrigerating apparatus, the com-' bination of avapor-generator, an engine communicating with the generator and adaptedcondenser coils respectively, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a vapor-generator,an engine communicating with the generator and adapted to be driven byvapor therefrom, a compressor connected to be operated from the engine,acondensing-coil, an air-cooler, an expansion-coil within the cooler, areceiver, connections between the condenser-coil and thedelivery-passage of the compressor, connections between theexpansion-coil and the inlet-passage of the compressor, connectionsbetween the receiver and the generator, a pump interposed in thelast-named connections, and a bypass valve in said connections betweenthe pump and the generator, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

4. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compressor, anengine for-operating the same, a condenser-coil communieating with thedelivery-passage of the compressor, an aircooler, an expansion-coilwithin the cooler, a receiver, connections between the receiver, thecondensing-coil and hand in the presence of the two subscribing theexpansion-coil, said receiver also com- I witnesses.

rnunreatrng wlth the compressor, ant} means i ALFRED GLASSON tolubrlcate the plstons of the englne and 1 compressor, substantially asand for the purl l \Vitnesses: V

ALFRED J. BOULT,

pose set forth. 7

HARRY B. BRIDGE.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my

